This show was in the stratosphere. Phenomenal!

Victim>Dark Star gets very dark and spacey; with intense jamming, lots of midi and keyboard synth on the DS. Only problem, Brent disappears for most of Victim, to resurface for Dark Star; maybe he needed to drink another beer. He also isn't too much in evidence on Shakedown, although part of that might be the sound mix -- had trouble hearing Brent when he did play, or Bob for that matter. Dear Mr. Fantasy is pretty lackluster, and the whole after Space part is pedestrian. Victim>Dark Star elevates this show to 4 stars.

I agree somewhat that this show was hit/ miss.
Yes 12/30 was a better show w much higher energy and a better vibe. Yes it didn't live up to the high expectations, like so many other NYE shows before it. Victim on New Years Eve?? Loved how Jerry was quoted in an interview saying the song was " a real smile stopper " LOL!! But this version was very dark and I found it to be one of the better versions before or since whatever's that worth.... Really thought Dear Mr. Fantasy was a highlight nobody has mentioned. Memphis had a nice B3 solo as well.NYE used to get a 3rd set then that was reduced to a half a set... The 2015 WORLD CHAMPION GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS at the time had a banner that was directly behind the stage that in the teams colors exclaimed " We came to play " folks behind the stage were shining flash lights onto it as they took their time coming out for S.S.D.D. Brokedown Palace then left turning on the house lights before relenting and coming back for a second second encore Midnight Hour. It was odd and no doubt wasn't as celebratory as you would hope a New Years show would be. Still its pretty solid if it were played at any other date.
BTW Evan Hunt your review is awesome!!!

That was for me one of the best acid trips of my life. Partying in the parking lot with thousands of great people, tripping w/two great friends, first time I heard 'brokedown palace' and a group of people started some arm-in-arm thing, it was a great way to bring in the new year, and my birthday. So many weird things that night. One of the most fun of my life.
It was magic. All around a great time.

Sadly, my last New Years Show in attendance. great Set high energy from start to end, post drums is epic.

I listened to this show on my FM stereo with speakers roaring in multiplex bloom, got bored with it, went out, listened to it while driving around, went to a friend's party, convinced him to listen to it, we all listened to it while we partied into the new year. Two guys got into a karate-type fistfight with my friend. I walked away from the fight. He was handling himself very well and needed not my involement. There was not too much blood. Then I went home, and on the way I listened to this show on KPFA. When I arrived home it was still playing on my radio, and since I had forgotten to turn the volume down inside my house I could hear it as I pulled into the driveway in the most amazingly austere quad mix twixt the car stereo and what was reverberating out of my place.
The cops were there. There were the neighbors all standing around in slippers and bath robes. The cops asked me if I lived there (while the music is just blasting out of my house speakers and my car speakers) I said yes. Everybody was pissed-off and I was mortified that I had driven away and left my stereo blasting. The cops asked me if I'd had anything to drink that night. I did not lie. I was completely sober. Then the cops told everybody to go home and told me to keep it down and I went inside and turned the stereo down and listened to the remainder of the broadcast by myself; completely straight and sober. It was not a particularly good show, nor a particularly merry evening. I do not even recall saying Happy New Year and singing Auld Lang Syne. When I woke up around noon the FM radio was still blaring away some gibberish about how to plant your winter bulbs. I had tickets offered to me for that show but I did not want to hassle with driving to Oakland. The FM broadcast was quite adequate. It is not a good show by all standards of a good show. It is rather pedestrian. But it speaks of life where there is always a show going on somewhere in the background and depending upon our hearing or our perspective it is all more or less in tune with whatever is shaking down.

Saw these NY's; definitely agree w/ last reviewer, dark, druggy energy this night...I don't know, I was really high-my last ever acid trip...!; definitely felt some weird tension w/ the boys, though especially after space...victim really trippy, great long spacy version, plus regardless of whatever, how do you knock dark star, much less on new years??!...even as "half" it was still like 20 minutes, plus the riffs pre verse were really hot...yeah, this show had some signs of demise, but still this was the dead at the end of the eighties...all good things...transition b/w v.o.c and dark star is/was really sick! great recording...12/30 wailed....last bill graham new years.....eighties gd truly was some grand times!

Rumour had it at the time that this was going to be Brent's last show because he was too unreliable, too far gone, to do another tour. He hung in there though through the summer of 90.
This show, I think, is highly over-rated by the reviewers. The band had blown the doors off the night before (a must have show!!) and this show suffers from a feel of overall fatigue particularly in the second set.
They do come out gangbusters though delivering a nice bunch of second set numbers in the first. In fact I love this first set which is why I rate the show as high as I do. Bonnie Raitt's playing on her spots is stellar and I always loved it when Jerry broke out Big Boss. Closing a set with Shakedown is always a treat but they had played better ones in what was one of the band's greatest years since 1981 (boy I must be pissing a lot of people of right now!). Still, it's a dance off mofo.
The second set is a series of misfires, I think. With Victim Or the Crime setting the tone (and shaving everyone's buzz) one of the darkest of Dark Stars is played into Drums. Actually it's the highlight of the set but what a dark vibe for a New Year's party! The rest of the set is disappointing. The encore is the highlight of the second half but they seem somewhat disinterested in giving the crowd the usual meaty N.Y. encore. Check out the next year when they're back on form and you'll see what I mean.
I don't blame the band for any of this. The rest of the run is simply incredible. Check out the Dew they play on the 28th. I mean they have a right to be tired. It's been a long year. And am I imagining it or is that long intro to Fantasy a band waiting for my beloved Brent to get his shit together? Maybe someone who was there can tell me?

One more note on this show. The encores were Brokedown and SSDD. Then a five minute break with all house lights on before they came back out and did Mid Hour.

We need 12-28-89 uploaded to complete this New Years's run. A fine show, someone please upload a copy, we need to relive the memories, thanks!

great energy...a bit sloppy at times in Shakedown vocally, but Shakedown, Iko, Darkstar from Jerry leaves ya smiling...
give a listen

New Years always came with high expectations and at the time we walked out agreeing that it was a hot show but still a bit disappointed only becuase as the dead had just broken out a lot of old tunes in the prior summer/fall, and played only 1 (at least it was Dark Star!) of them during this run. (Help-slip-frank, Death Don't, We Bid You, Attics, and Dark Star) However, even that night we knew some segments had smoked, and over time I realize that they played some great stuff this night. Set 1 Opened with the New Years Favorite Sugar Mag>Women Are>Touch ( is this the 2nd set?). Then we got Bonnie Raitt with a sweet slide on Big Boss, and strong set closers in Memphis Blues and Shakedown. Set 2 had Taro Hart on Drums with Dad for a rocking Aiko, and still one of the spookiest Victum or the Crime's, with a great ending Jam and then the quiet wind down to the moment of truth, the Dark Star, which was very hot. Out of Space the Fantasy blows off hte roof, and the momentum carriers right through the GDTRFB. After that the versions are well played if a little un exciting, a shot mini double encore with a good and rare Midnight Hour. Overall some great moments, highly reccomended.

to start, sound quality is good but not great. you can tell you're in the coliseum. however, this was the 1st new years show i went to and it rocked from head to toe. it was one of those perfect evenings where absolutely nothing could go wrong even if i tried. the year before the boys opened the 2nd set w/ this years 1st 3 songs, and smoked 'em. mickey was into some weird echo metal slapper noise that kept the beat and funked all night long. jerry straight guitar whining through man smart. lots of great little weird noises all night long. me and my friends were quite tripped out that night , but does anyone rremember a paper airplane flying from the rafters to the floor in glorious flight. the crowd erupted and my friend was very proud of his paper engineering. at least i think all that happened. people in diapers walking out of the glowing egg at midnight and throwing roses at us left me in a world of perfect harmony. who else but the dead right? the energy that night was off the charts and it was brent's last new years. well worth the download. don't tell me this town ain't got no heart!!!

this is an awesome show. better copy. great Dark Star (as always) and great big boss man.
get this show!